GLS Group Announces In-House Lawyer Wellbeing Series

GLS Group is delighted to announce the launch of the GLS In-House Wellbeing Series reflecting our holistic commitment to in-house legal team performance.

As you know, the GLS Legal Operations Community welcomes the discussion of all things that can help improve the performance of legal teams and in-house lawyers.

In-house lawyers face many challenges that can negatively impact their physical and mental well-being – which in turns impacts all areas of their life and work. 

So the GLS In-House Wellbeing Series is dedicated to improving the wellbeing of the in-house lawyer and helping them make the link between wellbeing and performance.

Why focus on in-house counsel wellbeing?

Being an in-house lawyer is a sedentary vocation. It requires long and uncomfortable hours at the desk and staring at digital devices - none of which is good for you physically. 

And what do we do at the desk? We deal with emergencies, difficult/stressed people, complex subject matters and high-stakes scenarios ... and always on a “rush rush” basis. 

Let’s be honest - life as an in-house lawyer is no picnic. It can take its toll physically and emotionally on us and our families. 

At law school you aren't taught the importance of work-life balance, maintaining your health or exploring the link between health and performance.

Only recently are big firms beginning to make such a connection - but until such time as law firms de-couple from the billable hour where more is better - their concerns are probably not so credible.

As such, your well being - no matter where you work - is primarily a personal matter for which personal accountability is required. But recognizing your wellbeing as a “professional investment” makes that easier.

The bottom line is that if we work in-house we need to be looking after ourselves – something that is frequently overlooked. So GLS wanted to do its bit to help you to address this issue. 

Wellbeing and in-house performance – it is connected

There is great irony in the fact that the average lawyer will make huge sacrifices to better their careers but are less inclined to make such investments for their own wellbeing.

So, here is the GLS position on wellbeing: Your wellbeing is directly related to your professional performance. The link is unmistakable and cannot be ignored.

The GLS Group's position is that each in-house lawyer is in fact their “own business”. You might be on someone's payroll, but - "you" are your own business. 

Each in-house lawyer should view themselves as their own plant, machinery, stock, brand, profit-centre, work force and unique proposition. 

Like all businesses, you need to constantly invest in your business. This means you must be constantly investing in yourself. 

This means not only putting resources into your knowledge, education, qualification ... but also, and most importantly, your health. 

So, visit the GLS Legal Ops Community – Wellbeing Channel for helpful discussions on simple things that can help you improve your physical and mental wellbeing. 

What to expect from our initiative

Like all GLS Group initiatives – we focus on simple and effective initiatives that are easy to act on. 

Our initiatives will necessarily be holistic in nature - we will explore topics such as posture improvement, breathing techniques to deal with stress, daily stretching protocols and will rapidly expand out into any and all areas that we think can help lawyers improve their wellbeing. 

We will be working with experienced experts to bring their tips and tricks in a super digestible (i.e. short and sweet) form for you to consider.

If you see benefit in these wellbeing tips – feel free to incorporate them into your life – of course after having consulted with your medical professional should that be needed.

Join with us and find some time in each day to dedicate to working on your wellbeing. 

Invest in yourself by adopting a wellbeing strategy to boost your overall performance. 

Legal team performance

If you are a General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer or Head of Legal and are reading this - whilst you may not have the legal spend to be able to gift gym memberships to your team members, there is no excuse for not at least identifying wellbeing is a priority within your department.

There are many easy to implement and explore wellbeing strategies that will benefit your team, so please do you bit in creating a culture where your team members are encouraged and made to feel comfortable enough to implement wellbeing practices into their daily routines.

Click here to benefit from the GLS In-House Wellbeing Series.